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Friday, 27 February 2015

KINDIKI, KIRAITU RIVALRY EXPLODES

President Uhuru Kenyatta has moved
to consolidate his support in the Mt Kenya East region urging locals to unite
under one political party. The President took the Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP)
to the doorstep of Kiraitu Murungi's Alliance Party of Kenya (APK), saying
division along party lines would be costly. Accompanied by his Deputy William
Ruto, several MPs and senators, Uhuru emphasised the need for Jubilee Alliance
to remain intact. This happened even as it emerged JAP is forming a summit that
will bring together at least four other parties besides URP and TNA. The summit
will be the top decision making organ in the Jubilee Alliance and all parties
under this umbrella will be represented in the summit and have equal voting
powers on any matter related to the coalition. Membership to the party is drawn
from President Kenyatta's The National Alliance (TNA), Deputy President William
Ruto's United Republican Party (URP), Ford People, New Ford Kenya, United
Democratic Party, Grand National Union and Alliance Party of Kenya. Proposed
summit members are President Kenyatta, his deputy Ruto, UDF party leader
Musalia Mudavadi, former Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa, Senator Kiraitu
Murungi, former Laikipia East MP Mwangi Kiunjuri and former Minister Henry
Obwocha. See also: Kanu not seeking political 'marriage' now, says Salat Asked
for a comment, Kigumo MP Jamleck Kamau who played a crucial role in the
formation of JAP, would not divulge much except to say, "JAP would want to
bring together as many people as possible." Although legislator Moses
Sakuda said formation of a Jubilee summit has since become a reality in
accommodating interested political parties, Senator Charles Keter said JAP will
hold elections after all the parties have merged. However, Mudavadi denied
knowledge of the merger saying, "In any case I am concentrating on my
party," he said this through his personal assistant Joshua Shitikho.
Similarly, Ford People's leader Obwocha distanced himself from the claims:
"I have called a party meeting next month to discuss this matter. We have
issues with Jubilee, we were originally with them but after the elections they
have never spoken to us. How do they expect us to co-operate? It is not
business as usual," he said. But as Uhuru was insisting on unity, the supremacy
battles pitting Meru Senator Kiraitu and his Tharaka Nithi counterpart Prof
Kithure Kindiki played out during Kenyatta's visit in the region yesterday. In
what appeared to be a well-rehearsed script, local MPs declared before Kenyatta
and his deputy that Kiraitu was the undisputed leader of the Ameru "and
anyone seeking to talk to the Meru must do so through him